Federal Efforts to Protect Our Schools: 77,400 Voices Heard and Viable Plans Presented to Congress – Now it is Time for Action!
On May 17, 2007, there was a Full Hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security House of Representatives on Protecting Our Schools: Federal Efforts to Strengthen Community Preparedness and Response. The 89-page recording of that hearing and its numerous testimonials can be found in a downloadable PDF version at http://www.crisisprepconsulting.com/Resources___Downloads.php under the LINKS heading. It certainly is…
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: A 40-Year Veteran of the Telecom Industry and Crisis Communications Profession Offers His Opinions About Analog Versus Digital 2-Way Radios Relative to School Security
Like many school districts, the district I work for is in the process of upgrading its 2-way radio communications system in both an effort to make communications more efficient and to also enhance school safety. I’ve had a substantial role in that process and admit that while I have learned much, I still have much…
Read MoreWhat’s My Safety Priority – Radio Communications or Video Surveillance?
There’s a debate brewing in the school safety world as radio communications is pitted against video surveillance for a northern notch on the priority ladder. Here’s my two cents on this discussion. Let’s begin with an examination of the everyday use of radio communications and video surveillance. Everyday Use – Radio Communications Playground supervision. Custodians (talk group). Special education…
Read MoreWhat Does a Google Ngram Tell Us About the Direction of School Safety?
The Google Ngram Viewer is a phrase-usage graphing tool which charts the yearly count of selected word or phrase combinations as found in over 5.2 million books up to 2008. In looking at the Ngram below, you will find that I entered the words/phrases: fire drill, tornado drill, lockdown, and school shooting. Fire Drill: The peak period…
Read MoreWhat Titanic and Britannic Can Teach Us About School Safety
We can learn a lot about school safety from studying the Titanic and its sister the Britannic. The rumble is persistent – and at times even deafening – as the public seeks to protect school children via impenetrable doors, bullet-proof glass, cameras and armed guards. While this structural-functional perspective isn’t wrong, it is only one perspective. …
Read MoreSCHOOL CRISIS PREP – what to do first? Use a Prioritization Matrix – Full Analytical Criteria Method
Administrators are bound to have generated a hefty “to do” list following a comprehensive assessment of school safety needs. So, where does one begin when addressing school safety concerns? The process can be efficiently addressed through a prioritization matrix. The following steps will allow for stakeholder input and produce an objective, clear hierarchy of needs. Give it a…
Read MoreThe 8 safety questions I would ask anyone who works in a school…
There are numerous surveys about school safety. Few, however, inquire as to how staff become aware of potential crises in their settings – and few seem to be built to inform any type of construct. I developed the following 8 questions for anyone working in a school. Each question is supported by a literature review. These…
Read MoreMass Shooting Incident Symposium – Key Points to Consider
The DeForest (WI) Police Department made me a special non-law enforcement guest of the Mass Shooting Incident Symposium held at the Schauer Performing Arts Center in Hartford, Wisconsin on March 4, 2013. This exemplary event, designed for law enforcement, entailed brilliant studies of four mass shootings with attention to efficient incident and post-incident responses. Presenters: Major Kevin…
Read MoreInteresting Statistics Related to School Safety
School Statistics 53 million students attend public or private school each in the United States (Loyola University, 2012) The National School Boards Association (1993) estimated that 135,000 American children carry guns to school each day. The Department of Education (1999) reported that 3,930 students in public K-12 schools were expelled for bringing a firearm to…
Read MoreTrauma-Informed Care, The Whole-Brain Child and Staff Development
Trauma-informed care and understanding the childhood brain and how it matures are fairly new areas of study for teachers. Yet, to connect as many children as possible to school, trauma-informed care is becoming a necessary approach in K-12 education. Research has shown that trauma, such as drug or alcohol exposure, abuse and neglect, experienced in-utero…
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